The table
above reports the candidate's stated experience with common retail
management tasks. If he/she has moderate or extensive experience in an
area, ask for more specific information during the
interview.

Preparation:

Review the application form

Review the test results

STEP 1: Open the Interview

Hello, my name is ____________ and I'm
the _____________ (your position). We're pleased that you are interested
in this position. The purpose of this interview is to learn more about you
and your work experiences. I will be asking you some questions about your
previous experience, how you approach certain things, etc. You will
probably see me jotting down some notes -- that's to help me remember
better what you said after the interview is over. There are no correct or
incorrect answers; what we want is to learn more about you. At the end,
I'll leave some time to answer any questions you might have. If you are
ready, we can begin.

Example Questions:

I see that you were unemployed from
_____to _____. Please tell me about this period of unemployment.

I see that you left your previous employer for personal reasons. Would
you explain further?

I noticed that you have changed jobs frequently in the recent past.
Why?

STEP 3: Review Test Flags and Begin In-depth Questions

No special
interview probe suggestions were generated for this report.

1. Tell me about your responsibilities in your
previous jobs. Which did you like most and why? Also, which did you like
the least and why? (Listen for likes and dislikes that may or may not
fit this job.)

2. Have
you ever worked in a sales job? How were you paid (e.g., hourly,
commission, etc.)? How well did you do? (Probe for level of success in
sales and compensation experience.)

3. Have
you worked late hours or weekends in previous jobs? For how long? How did
(would) you feel about working these hours? (Listen for
willingness.)

4. Have
you ever trained others to sell? What did you emphasize? (Listen for
ability to train and sales knowledge.)

5. Tell
me about a time when you were working on something and everything you
tried seemed to be resisted or blocked. What things blocked your way? How
did you get around them? (Listen for persistence and an ability to
accomplish difficult things.)

6.
Describe an experience in the past when you found it appropriate to ignore
a company policy or procedure. What did you do and why? (Did he show
good judgment? Willingness to follow policy?)

7. As a
manager, what tasks should you delegate and what tasks should you do
yourself? (Listen for a balance between willingness to do the work
himself and an ability to ask others to do the work.)

8. Have
you been responsible for hiring new employees in your past job(s)? What do
you (would you) look for when hiring someone? (Listen for a practical,
sensible approach and good judgment about people.)

9. Have
you ever been in a situation where you had to tell someone they were
performing poorly? What happened and what was the outcome? (Listen for
the courage to supervise and good judgment about people.)

10.
What would be sufficient reason to fire an associate? What would you say
to him? How difficult would it be for you to do? (Listen for good
judgment.)

11.
Think about the last time that you received a customer complaint. What was
the feedback and how did you respond? (Listen for openness, tact and
the ability to handle the customer.)

(No additional interview questions were created from performance
flags.)

STEP 4: Conclude the Interview

Those are all the questions that I
have for you. I appreciate the time that you have given to me. Is there
anything that you would like to ask me?

STEP 5: Make the Hiring Decision

Resist the temptation to hire someone just because you need to fill
the job. You are likely to pay for a hiring mistake both in money and
time.

Focus on how well the candidate fits the demands of the job, not how
much you like the candidate's personality or how much you have in common
with the candidate.

The selection process is designed as an aid to the well-reasoned
judgment of a hiring manager, not a replacement for this judgment. In
the end, every hiring decision is a judgment call. Use the tools
provided in this process to inform your decision, not make it for you.

Use the following checklist to guide your decision. Please indicate
your recommendation and write your comments in the appropriate
Recommendation box. In addition, write your initials in the Initials
column.